Denominations

Up until recently I have never noticed just how many different denominations there are just within Christianity. You would think that self-professing Christians would have realized that we need to all be together as one body and not separated by varying doctrines. I believe that I have spoken about this topic before, but it still baffles me as why we STILL separate ourselves as Christians.

I think that now these varying doctrines have been so engrained in many people’s lives that it’s hard for them to see what is in front of them…what God’s word actually says rather than just the interpretation of what man thinks it says.

There key things that should be a deal breaker when thinking about what type of church to go to, consider the following reasons for going to the church:

They….

Follow scripture (God’s Word)

Believe in the New Testament.

Have the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. (Scriptural)

Believe in the leading of the Spirit through His body, not just through the pastor/priest/etc…

Believe in a personal relationship with Christ.

Believe that people can hear and talk to God.

Exemplify the love of Christ.

Express the fruits and the gifts of the spirit.

Have authority through Christ.

Believe in Healing.

Believe in deliverance from foul spirits.

Use your best judgment and seek His face first. Prayer will help you make the decision.

We shouldn’t have to choose between several different doctrines within our own faith! 

There should not be any denominations that separate the body of Christ, there should not be arguments as what parts of the bible should we embrace!

We are His body and we must get in line with HIS word and not with our own man made ideas.

Five-Fold Ministry

Ephesians 4:11-12

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

 ¹²For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

We were given the five-fold ministry to help believers and non-believers develop a closer relationship with Christ, guide us through along our walk and inform us of what we need to know to live a righteous life.

Some may argue that they don’t need to go to church or need the guidance of a pastor or teacher…However if you did not need any of those things, why would God waste His time and people on a frivolous idea??

If we were all meant to do alone-we would not need our parents, school teachers, or even laws because we would already have everything we need to know.

The Jesus wants us to be amongst fellow members of the body, to strengthen our faith, learn from others and to come together with great power and combined authority to do miraculous things in our community and in the world!

I always think about what Pastor Drew Harris says to those who say that they do not know if they need to be in a church or feel like they need to be at a particular church, he says regardless of where you are your mail is being delivered to your address. This means that whatever God has for you to hear and learn from is being delivered at the church that you are supposed to be at.

….

Mercy

Ephesians 2:4-5

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.

There are no other words than “Love” and “Mercy” that can move your emotions from one point to another.

Know that our God is a merciful God! Do not believe the people who always claim that God is just a vengeful God and wants everybody to jump through hoops and go through trials to defeat them.

For all things that we have done or are continuing to do that we know are not what God says to do, we cannot turn around and point our fingers towards God and blame Him for things not going right in our lives…our experiences and circumstances are based on our choices and God gives us grace and mercy to keep us from self-destructing.

Thing is, that just because we have love, mercy and grace, that we can do whatever we want and just “pay” for it later. We have remember that we have mercy because we are not perfect, nor are we fast learners, so we are going to make mistakes here and there.

Mercy and grace won’t cover us if we blatantly sin and mess up on purpose, His love will remain.

His love and mercy is enough to clean us up and turn us from our wicked ways. We become a new creation in Christ and become what we were pre-destined to be. 

A Gift

Ephesians 2:8-9

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

What an amazing gift!

To be loved and saved by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately there are people in the world who believe otherwise. Many people in the world believe that they don’t deserve to be saved because of the things they have said and done in their past or the lifestyle they are currently in. Others believe that they have to be “good” in order for God to accept them.

If only everyone knew that it does not matter how they look, what they do or what they have done, that they are covered by the grace of God and the He openly welcomes you back into His arms.

…even those who once knew Him but had turned their backs on Him…He STILL loves you and will gladly accept you back into His arms again!

Do not think that just by being a “good” person that you get a pass in to the Kingdom, it’s accepting Christ’s love and allowing His will to be done through you…nothing more nothing less.

He loves every one of us, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of how broken we may be inside, He STILL wants YOU!

Will you accept Christ into your heart today??

One

John 14:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

This is the scripture that will contradict all of those who believe there are many paths to God, that all faiths share the same god.

I have heard it many times, that all faiths refer to God, so that it must mean they are all essentially worshipping the same god…unfortunately that is not true. Unless you recognize Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you cannot be worshipping the same god, not the one and only true God that many of us know and love.

I believe it is the fact that we see people who are nice, generous and personable that it’s hard to picture them not being in Heaven. If I were to repeat that same statement on television or in the newspapers, I would get pressured to believe otherwise and told that I am closed-minded and so on.

I have to say, that I use to be on the other side and had argued with family members as to why it doesn’t make sense for those who claim other religions and other gods to go to hell…but I could never prove as to why they would be able to go to Heaven…For most of the reasons that worldly people would use, are the same reasons that do not matter to Christ, after everything is said and done He will only see if you have accepted Him and repented of your sins.

This is why it is so important to reach everyone in the world who have been led astray into believing false doctrine or false religion, there are those who claim to be Christian who have been led astray as well.

We have to first and foremost, reach them through love, we cannot just come up to them tell them they are wrong and what they believe are lies! No! We have to love them and listen as to why they haven’t allowed Christ into their hearts and lives.

First Will Be Last

In a world that is obsessed with rankings whether it be for education, popularity, beauty or finances, people lose sight of what is actually important.

We live in a society that puts a number on anything and everything.

Every day there is someone being praised over all the hard work they have done to achieve millions. I wonder how they feel when people who haven’t done the same amount of work all of a sudden come upon millions for a simple unintended invention or inheritance.

Matthew 20:12-16

New International Version (NIV)

¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

All of those who have put themselves at the top will be pushed to the bottom, because they have either lost sight of what was important or they chose to ignore it.

We have to remember what is important…is it our status in life or all the works we have accumulated? Or is it that we placed Christ as our number one and just lived our lives according to the leading of His Spirit and His word?

I believe it is the latter. Just because someone has the wealth that you wished you had, so you could help others and your family, does not mean you have to go out and “break your back” , pretend to be something that you are not, lie to people or even start out with a lot of money in the bank. All it takes is faith, prayer, living a righteous life and following the leading of the spirit.

If all the wealthy people in the world had all those qualities they would not have to worry about their dirty secrets coming light, manipulating people to keep the money flowing or selling their soul to have/keep their wealth.

The wages that God has to give can be given to anybody at any time, regardless of all their accomplishments, sacrifices or setbacks, as long as they did what they were told to do and lived right, those wages will be given.

Rest

Hebrews 4:2-3 (NIV)

2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

These words are vital to living in the Kingdom of God. You must enter to His rest, but as the Lord states in Hebrews 4:2, you can only enter His rest if you take the gospel and combine it with your faith will you be able to enter His rest. If you don’t use your faith, what good will the Word of God do for you?!

You have to have faith to attain anything in life-what makes anyone think differently?...

‘Rest’ is the key word, just thinking about it naturally would bring a feeling of relief knowing that in Christ we can go on and not be worn out or ready to give up.

There will be many people who will hear the word of God and never hold on to it, because they lack faith.

To have faith is to believe that even though you may not be able to see something you still believe it exists. If you can believe that God not only exists, but wants the very best for us and will provide it, you cannot enter His rest. 

We sometimes think it is up to God to prove Himself to us every time we have any doubts in Him and His abilities, but we are to stay close to Him in faith that He is who He says He is and that we will not be given anything that we cannot handle. He has finished all that He has to do, as stated at the end of verse 3, He has finished His work, now it us up to us to follow through and learn from His word.

Must be Blameless

As many of you should know by now, I have a major interest in Demonology and the Occult in relation to the bible. Due to the fact that I was heavily involved in the occult I can relate to many of those who have been lured into demonic traps.

Now, a born a again believer I feel that it is important for as well as well as millions of others to share their experiences and knowledge about the worldly dangers that trap many people in our generation.

Deuteronomy 18:10-13

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,…”.

            Of course to most people this sounds like an obvious ‘no no’, but this type of behavior still exists and is more common than most may think. It’s not just some of the satanic churches, but some religious cults and witches that engage in sacrifices of humans. God never lets His dislikes/hates be secret and make you try to figure it out-He tells us out straight what He does not want us to do.

He goes on to list the things that we are to stay away from:

Divination

Sorcery

Interpreting Omens

Witchcraft

Casting Spells

Mediums

Spiritists

Consulting the dead

It’s not just performing these things, it’s also being exposed to them through your own curiosity or relationship to someone who is or has been involved in any of these areas. It doesn’t have to be lifestyle in order to get yourself in spiritual trouble.

The Lord cannot cover for us if we engage in these types of behaviors, in which He has already told us not to engage in. He will not bless you when you are in sin and allowing demonic spirits into your life.

Think twice before you ever agree to engage our “witness” any of these demonic practices.

Deprived of Good

Jeremiah 5:24-25

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ They do not say to themselves,
   ‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
   who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
²⁵ Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
   your sins have deprived you of good.

When we hear of odd weather and failing crops, some tend to think it is “mother nature” or God punishing innocent farmers. Never do they, at least openly, admit that maybe they have done something that is not right or have not watched over their crops as they should have, and allowing the enemy to have his way in their lives.

We forget that we can easily get into error and make mistakes, we are only human and Jesus is perfect.

Some people have their crops prayed over by shamans and so called spiritualists and in the meantime they suffer constant ups and downs in during the seasons and wonder why they can’t maintain or get better.

The same scripture can be used for those who do not deal with farming and such, but struggle with their jobs, housing and finances. These are all one in the same, the same sins, the same mistakes can keep us from being able to succeed in every season.

Like how the farmers expect rain during specific times through the year, others expect promotions and their paycheck to be in their hands every pay period.

Walking the walk requires a daily “overview” of where you are in your walk and repenting for anything you have done to offend someone or anything you may have said that will cause spiritual harm to yourself or others.

As a society we like to seek blame in others and circumstances rather than look inwardly at what it is that we have said or have accepted in to our spirit from other people. God does not desire to condemn people, but to enrich people and make them prosperous in their lives.

If you constantly have issues-check yourself first before you go blaming others, especially before you start to blame God. We all make decisions that impact our lives-we have free will, God does not force us into ANY of our messes, we walk into them and God can only stand back and let us make up our minds.

Unfaithful

Jeremiah 3:19-20

New International Version (NIV)

“ ¹⁹ “I myself said,

   “‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
   and give you a pleasant land,
   the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’
   and not turn away from following me.
²⁰ But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
   so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,”
            declares the LORD.”

In this scripture the Lord is referring to Israel, however we all can be like Israel.

The same goes for us, if we would call on the father, how much He would do for us and give us the best than any could ever give.

We as gentiles, tend to forget that just like Israel, we to can commit the same sins and distance us from the Lord our God. Like Israel, we can get into error and not trust God and know that we need Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide us.

In many ways we have been unfaithful to the Lord, from when we were purely in the world, when we have doubted God’s abilities to turn your situations around, or when we have dabbled with practices and ideologies that were contrary to His teachings. 

When we entertain practices like yoga and a “zen” lifestyle, or getting into the whole “Mother Earth” mentality we get misguided and out of line with what God tells us to.

God has sooooooooo much to give us and it’s up to us to line up with His word and open ourselves up to receive the blessings that God has for us. These blessings are not just for us to have things, but to be able to be a blessing for others and strengthening your spirit man.

Do not be unfaithful to the Lord and stick to the truth, God’s word and allow the Holy Spirit to have his perfect will in you and through you so that you may remain as heirs to the riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Drive out Spirits

Matthew 12:27-29

New International Version (NIV)

^“27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

   ²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.”

We all have seen or heard of exorcisms, usually performed by Catholic Priests in horror movies and documentaries. This practice of our authority to expel demons has been perverted and twisted to a point to where it is no longer done under the authority of Jesus Christ but from a dark source.

When you attempt to expel a demon from someone or something, and you are first and foremost, not a believer in Jesus Christ let alone understand, biblically, your authority in Christ to do so, you are putting yourself and whoever else is involved at risk. Dealing with demonic spirits is not child’s play and should be taken seriously.

You cannot expel a demon without the name of Jesus or the blood of Jesus!

When you enter into an exorcism/expulsion of a demon in someone, you face potentially allowing more spirits into the person and put yourself and others at risk of unknowingly opening “doors” that allow spirits into your lives.

Those who enter an exorcism/expulsion of a demon in someone who are believers, but do not quite understand their authority through Jesus and do not actually use the name of Jesus Christ or the blood of Jesus in their session, they risk the same as the none believers who do so and will take a long time to see any manifestations.

Always be prepared when you are planning to do an expulsion.

Some of the requirements for expulsion:

·         Have a Pastor or leader who is knowledgeable in the area.

·         Study scriptures about your authority to cast out demons/foul spirits.

·         Use the blood of Jesus and Name of Jesus (verbally)

·         Only have the people who are actually participating in the room (no onlookers) if possible.

·         Have a waiver for those who are being exercised filled out so as to not be placed in a legal issue if something were to happen that could be misunderstood.

And more…

Word & The World

Galatians 5:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

As a continuation on foul spirits and living in the world, I looked up a verse that warns us about the flesh.

The world and the flesh are one in the same. Whatever the flesh wants it gets if the Holy Spirit is does not dwell within them and is not built to stand against the flesh.

Sadly, every single thing that the Lord warns us against in Galatians 5:19-21 are the very things that are running rampant in the world today- especially in the United States today. 99% of all of our programming focuses or somehow incorporates all these sinful acts.

Example of television shows that are dabbling in these areas (past and present):

·         Vampire Diaries

·         Jersey Shore

·         Real Housewives (series)

·         Bad Girls Club

·         Crossing Over

·         Ghost Whisperer

Etc…

All these shows and more all take after those things in which we should not feed in to.

I can say that I am guilty of watching some of these shows and others, they can be addicting, but it’s important to not get involved and ultimately stop or never begin watching these programs. It’s not always easy to cut programs like these out, especially since they are some of the most talked about.

Some believe that just because you don’t actually partake in these behaviors, but watch it on tv every week, does not mean you are in the clear. It all starts with watching or listening to these types of things that can draw you in.

Always be mindful of what you are watching and listening to on a regular basis and don’t fall victim to the enticement of these “pleasurable” attributes that the world has to offer…for you have been warned.

Demonology Revisited

The understanding of how to cast out foul spirits from yourself, your home, others and breaking any curses in your family is more important now than ever.

We tend to forget that we are not dealing with just flesh and blood, but with Spiritual powers.

In world that is rapidly getting darker and darker, we have to be guarded spiritually, we have to not take any chances with experimenting with things that we don’t know can potentially harm us. Like I have mentioned before in past posts, dabbling with things that deal with the supernatural is never wise. You cannot harmlessly play around with dark games such as Ouija board and tarot cards.

The lines between what  is and what is wrong is becoming more and more blurred, to the point where it will be hard for those living in the world to be able to make a choice to go to God because they are bombarded with things that appeal to their senses.

These progressions-to blended lines and crossed barriers has happened so quickly yet so stealthily that we can’t actually pen point a specific date and time when things crossed over. Don’t succumb to the pressures to accept alternative lifestyles, legalization of harmful drugs and reckless lifestyles that the world tries to push you towards. It’s easy to persuade people in to things that can feel pleasurable without work.

Just because it “feels” good or that others are doing it with promises of it doing good for others, does not mean that it is okay and safe to do.

Baptism

Luke 3:21-22

New International Version (NIV)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus

 ²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Many Christians are out there that have not been baptized or have been baptized but it was not done performed in the name of Jesus.

I have yet to be baptized-but not anymore, the Spoken Word Church is having a baptism this Sunday for those who haven’t been baptized. I use to think that it was just an optional thing to do if you felt like it or something that was only done when you are a baby.

In bible study we discussed the importance of getting baptized-that it’s not an option to get baptized, you have to!

As long as you are a believer in Jesus Christ it is important to get baptized as Jesus was baptized by water to.

To be baptized to me, is to be renewed and purified by the water and spirit. I had never realized how many scriptures there are in reference to baptism, not just by the Holy Spirit but by water.

I’m excited to get baptized and don’t have any doubts about it.

If you haven’t been baptized by water and are not sure about doing it, do some research in your bible and ask your Pastor about it. There are too many scriptures for it to ever doubt about doing it.Baotism

Provision

Philippians 4:19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

In a time of lack in the world, we have to exercise this scripture more than most others. After years of living like there isn’t a possibility of there being little to none left has brought us to this point.

Many people are struggling to make ends meet on a regular basis.

It has been quite the opposite for my mother and I, when we were the ones that had to skimp on things and live from paycheck to paycheck without much excess. But because of Philippians 4:19 we have not been without for quite some time now. 

Scripture only works on your behalf if you apply it!

Don’t think just because you are a believer and that you have a bible that you are automatically covered in all these critical areas. You have to read it, believe it and apply it to your life in order for it to work for you.

God won’t intervene if you don’t let Him and because you are a son/daughter of God, you have no excuse for not taking the initiative and look up His word to see what you need to get things done in your life.

He is more than capable to provide us with all that we need and more…just ask! Never think that you aren’t worth  the time or resources, if you didn’t matter to Him he wouldn’t have ever given us His one and only sinless son to die for you!